(箴言 17:28)
“愚昧人若靜默不言，也可算為智慧．閉口不說，也可算為聰明。”
我們之前曾提及，愚昧人是指那些不肯聽勸、自以為是、自我膨脹、驕傲，即目中無人的人，這類人通常難以聽進他人的意見。然而，如果這些令人討厭的人，選擇不發言，那麼從表面上看，雖然他們本質上仍是愚昧的，但這行為竟被視為有智慧。「閉口不說，也可算為聰明」。在希伯來文的語境中，「閉口不說」就像是一個瓶子，加上一個密封的蓋子，將它鎖緊、扭緊，為了保護裡面的寶貴物品，並避免受潮。這意味著，如果一個自以為是、自我膨脹、不肯聽勸的人，至少能做到少說話，這也算是一種智慧與聰明。
這對我們來說有什麼屬靈意義呢？
其實，我們常笑話別人愚昧，但有時我們自己也是愚昧的，不是嗎？就如現今的網絡世界，很多人一看到標題，便急於做出判斷，隨意批評、謾罵，這種網絡語言暴力傷害了許多人。
這對我們而言是一個警誡。既然我們不承認自己是愚昧的，就更應該選擇沈默與閉口不言，因為很多時候，我們根本無法得知事情的真相，在資料不足的情況下，就胡亂地做出判斷。反過來說，如果我們自己是當事人，明明事情並非如此，卻被大眾攻擊，那將會是多麼慘痛的經歷，對吧？
聖經教導我們，凡事要慢慢地看清楚。即便是一個愚昧的人，若能選擇不發言，這本身也是一種智慧。我們現代人往往反應太快，太容易盲目跟風。求主幫助我們，讓我們不要成為「標題黨」。求主憐憫我們，賜予我們內心的平靜與分辨的能力，讓我們學會沈默，因為這也是一種智慧與好處。
(Proverbs 17:28)
“Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
We have mentioned before that fools refer to those who refuse to listen to advice, are self-righteous, egotistical, proud, and arrogant; such people usually find it difficult to take in others’ opinions. However, if these annoying people choose not to speak, then on the surface, although they are still foolish by nature, this behavior is actually regarded as wise. “He that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” In the context of the Hebrew language, “shutting one’s lips” is like a bottle with a sealed lid, tightened and locked to protect the precious items inside and prevent them from being affected by moisture. This means that if a self-righteous, egotistical person who refuses to listen to advice can at least manage to speak less, that is also considered a kind of wisdom and intelligence.
What spiritual significance does this hold for us?
In fact, we often laugh at others for being foolish, but sometimes we ourselves are also foolish, aren’t we? Just like in today’s internet world, many people are quick to make judgments as soon as they see a headline, criticizing and abusing others at will. This kind of online verbal violence has hurt many people.
This is a warning for us. Since we do not admit that we are foolish, we should choose to be silent and hold our tongues all the more, because many times, we cannot know the truth of the matter at all, and we make judgments recklessly when there is insufficient information. Conversely, if we were the ones involved, and even though things were not as they seemed, we were attacked by the public, what a painful experience that would be, right?
The Bible teaches us to look at everything slowly and clearly. Even a foolish person, if they can choose not to speak, possesses a kind of wisdom in itself. We modern people often react too quickly and are too easily blinded by following the crowd. May the Lord help us not to become people who judge solely based on headlines. May the Lord have mercy on us, grant us inner peace and the ability to discern, and let us learn to be silent, for this is also a kind of wisdom and benefit.
